Five Storytelling Tips

by Speaking Tips | April 12, 2004

Many professions such as historians, lawyers, physicians, economists and psychologists
take advantage of the power of stories to illustrate and frame reality in order to help
people better understand their subject matter. Professional speakers of course have been
using stories to illuminate their messages long before and after slides became the vogue.
On the other hand, occasional presenters are often reluctant to incorporate stories into
their formal presentations or their reports, proposals, briefings, training and meetings.

In some ways, this reluctance is hard to understand because as a group, humans are born
storytellers and relate to stories at a basic, fundamental and very personal level. In
our formative years, our environments are rich with storytelling at home, in school and
through audio and visual media. Children absorb a sweep of stories from nursery rhymes
to fairy tales to religious stories to family anecdotes. As adults, we pass these on
to our own children in turn.

Analagies, anecdotes, parables, fables, metaphors and idioms are all storytelling methods
for imparting wisdom or making a point. Frequently, such methods represent a far more
effective way to achieve this than through a plain presentation of facts. Here are five
tips to help you find your story voice.

1. Leap and the net will appear

Start turning personal experiences into stories for your presentations. It's important
that you remember that experiences don't automatically equate to stories, it's how you
relate them that does. Sharing such experiences innevitably requires you to be willing
to talk publicly about what are essentially private events. This requires a leap of both
faith and imagination, however once you have taken the initial plunge you wil find that
you quickly become comfortable doing so. After you become comfortable sharing personal
stories, you can begin to include your observations of other people's behavior and then
move on to paraphrasing and adapting fables, parables, fairy tales, literature and urban
legends. You will quickly build a repertoire of narratives that you will be able to adapt
to complement and enhance presentations on a surprisingly wide range of topics.

2. Collect stories from a variety of sources

In the real world, literature and the media stories abound. Start a notebook or database
to improve your access to those you like. When you know a good story, sooner or later
you will find a way to weave it into a presentation. Many popular childrens books are
an excellent source of material.

3. Learn the characteristics of a good story

Take time to learn what makes a good story, one that people can relate to and will learn
from. Look for the following points:

It is told well

The plot involves a transformation

The storyteller is sincere

The story fits the occasion

The characters come alive

The audience can relate to the story

The story addresses the issues at hand

4. Observe how professional presenters use stories

Professional presenters regularly use stories, especially personal ones, in their
presentations and publications. When you hear a professional presenter speak, observe
their use of stories. Good presenters will use stories for a variety of purposes
among which include to:

Provide humor

Clarify and illustrate meaning

Make points memorable

Bridge cultural gaps

Identify with the particular audience

Persuade the audience to their point of view

Encourage thinking

Inspire people to act

Build a shared vision

Relieve tension

Raise the energy level of the group

Introduce controversial issues

5. Broaden your storytelling horizons

Try attending a storytelling event or making the acquaintance of a professional
storyteller. Observe how school teachers tell stories to the children in their
class. Each time you listen to someone other than yourself tell a story, try to
see how their performance can be used to enhance your own. Lastly, there are
many websites and books that focus on storytelling skills, take the time to do
some research by visting these sites and the local library.

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